Azteca
The theocracy of Azteca (pronounced ahz-TEK-ah) is a nation of unbound life and plentiful land. History Before "The Event" Long ago, Azteca - and indeed all of Aztlan - was much like tribal society in many worlds. The people lived their lives under the rule of priest-kings, who received their power and mandates directly from a rich pantheon, which itself demanded blood sacrifice from its believers, forcing the inhabitants into a constant state of skirmishing. Like their neighbors the Quechuans and the Yucata, the Aztecans keep their history primarily via oral tradition, and thus less is known of their distant past. What is known, however, is that at some point prior to the arrival of the Thanatovians other outlanders arrived in similar ships and attempted to subjugate the area that now makes up the shard of Aztlan. While they were eventually expelled with the strength of divine magic and skilled warriors, during their occupation they caused significant hardships for the Aztlaneans such that even today they are suspicious of outsiders. The Event What others know as the Godswar is referred to in Aztlan as "The Event" but its effects were similar. Their entire pantheon save the rain god Tlaloc were destroyed in the conflict, however unlike the deities elsewhere Tlaloc was spared the worst of the repercussions due to imprisonment elsewhere. By the time he was freed and returned to Aztlan, the war was nearly over and so rather than join a decided battle he placed an avatar within the mortal realm of Aztlan. In so doing, he preserved his connection with his worshippers and was thus never cut off from his celestial home as were the Thanatovian deities, nor were his clerics deprived of his divine blessing. Together, this had the effect of more or less keeping Aztlanean society whole, though Tlaloc himself was forced to take on the entire mantle of divinity in the process. Moreover, where the Godswar took place three centuries ago by the reckonning of other worlds, for Aztlan it was a scant sixty years ago. Why this may be has yet to be determined. Azteca Today Today, Azteca functions much as it always has, its way of life largely unchanged in mortal memory. It is a civilization of both great works and simple life, bereft of both the moderation so valued by Thanatovians - and the need for it, given Azteca's bountiful shard - as well as the advances in learning and society in the latter realm. This is not, however, due to any failing on the part of the Aztecans; rather, they live as their god commands and resources allow, and are as eager as the Thanatovians to benefit from their new alliance. Government The Favor of Tlaloc Like the rest of Aztlan, rule in Azteca is derived from the blessing of Tlaloc, the elder priests of whom command society as a whole with direct approval and advisement from the deity's avatar Geography Political Survey Azteca is in a state of perpetual warfare with its neighbors Quechuan and Yucata, not over resources - of which all three have more than they can use - but by the command of their god. This state of affairs is intended to ensure the people of Aztlan are always kept ready for conflict and to promote survival of the fittest, characteristic of their nature-focused deity. Physical Survey Azteca stands alone amongst the nations of Aztlan in that it possesses a true coastline, however it shares many of the same features otherwise. It is a tropical realm, rain-soaked and hot and filled with dense jungle and the monsters that shelter there. Inhabitants The human population of Aztlan is staggering to the survivors of other realms, with at least several million citizens occupying the large shard. How many of these are Aztecan is difficult to say as each city operates semi-autonomously. In addition to the human population, monstrous humanoids such as lizardfolk are known to inhabit the jungle, as well as larger, more dangerous creatures; how many of either there may be is known only to Tlaloc, if even to him. Religion Azteca once boasted as robust a pantheon as any, and the signs of their worship are abundant, however in the wake of The Event only Tlaloc remains. At one time the god of rain, Tlaloc has since been forced to take on the rest of the pantheon's concerns, however he remains a deity steeped in the natural world, who both protects his people from outside threats and forces them to compete amongst themselves to ensure the strongest survival and primacy.